Batajnica Air Base

Batajnica Air Base
Авио-база Батајница
Avio-baza Batajnica
Control tower during air show, 2012.
Summary
Airport type Military air base
Operator Serbian Air Force
Serves Belgrade
Location Belgrade, Serbia
Built 1947
In use 1951 - present
Elevation AMSL 282 ft / 86 m
Coordinates 44°56′07″N 020°15′27″E / 44.93528°N 20.25750°E / 44.93528; 20.25750Coordinates: 44°56′07″N 020°15′27″E / 44.93528°N 20.25750°E / 44.93528; 20.25750
Map
Batajnica Air Base
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
11/29 x 1,100 Grass
12R/30L 7,999 2,438 Asphalt
12L/30R x 2,502 Asphalt

Batajnica Air Base (Serbian: Аеродром Бaтajницa / Aerodrom Batajnica) (IATA: BJY, ICAO: LYBT) is a military air base in Serbia. The airport is located between Batajnica and Nova Pazova, about 25 km northwest from the center of Belgrade. Batajnica is the only airport in Serbia with two runways.

History

Construction of the airbase started in 1947 and was completed in 1951, when the airbase was officially opened. The purpose of the airbase was to protect the capital from attack. One grass and two asphalted runways are used. It was known as 177th Air Base, which was its name until the 2006 reorganization.

Batajnica was home of 204th Fighter-Aviation regiment, 138th Transport-Aviation Regiment and other units of Yugoslav Air Force.

During the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia the airbase was heavily bombed for 25 days and sustained heavy damage.

In June 2006, two USAF F-16 fighter jets, visited Batajnica airbase. It was the first official visit of USAF aircraft in more than 20 years and the first since the bombing.

Units

A MiG-21 gate guardian at Batajnica

Serbian Air Force units operating from Batajnica Air Base:

101st Fighter Aviation Squadron with Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21's and Mikoyan MiG-29UM's.[2]
252nd Training Squadron
138th Transport Squadron
890th Mixed Helicopter Squadron
24th Air Force Technical Battalion
17th Air Base Security Battalion
177th Air Force Air Defence Artillery Battalion

References

  1. ↑ 204TH AIR FORCE BRIGADE Archived March 7, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ↑ AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. February 2017. p. 10.
  3. ↑ AIR FORCE TRAINING CENTER Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.
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